Reviews by beagle75:

A: Clear, medium reddish-brown color with scant off-white foam head that vanishes quickly. No lacing remains on the glass.

S: Molasses, bourbon, and caramelized cereal make up this beer's smell. Alcohol is detectable but not overpowering. Muted when at its coldest, becoming much more heady and pronounced as it warms.

T: Starts with treacle and dark fruit of moderate sweetness, followed by vanilla, heavy bourbon, and oak. The finish is of warming alcohol, licorice, and earthiness. Bitterness is restrained but present, building in the finish.

D: A fine strong ale that features its bourbon component prominently, this beer drinks easily enough for what it is. At about 13% abv (according to the server), it demands respect and moderation. Considering that it is strong for the style, the wonderful sensory qualities it displays are even more impressive. My biggest complaint with this beer is that it was served much too cold.

On tap at Noble Ale Works as a guest tap. 5 oz pour into a small plastic cup

Pours a chestnut brown with a garnet tint, no head but a small ring of white bubbles around the edge. Beer's clarity is exceptional and very inviting.

Smell is AMAZING, bourbon, toffee, caramel, vanilla and booze. This is exactly how I like my barrel aged anything!

Taste thankfully follows the nose, there is an amazing buttery sweetness with solid malty background. The barrel comes though in all the right ways.

Mouthfeel is right on, slightly oily, little carbonation, just right.

I would drink this as often as I could, I finished my 5 oz and then my friends who didnt like it. This beer is exceptional and I wish it was bottled and I could keep it on hand for a rainy day (or sunny day or whatever).

This is my first beer from Tustin brewing, I can only hope their others are atleast 75% as good.

A: The pour is a dark amber color, bordering on mahogany with a finger's worth of slightly off-white head.

S: Wow, the nose on this beer is phenomenal. Tons of vanilla, bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar, caramel, and toffee provide a wonderful sweetness. Some miscellaneous dark fruit notes and chocolate fill in the background of the aroma.

T: The flavor is similarly impressive. Lots of sweet, rich vanilla, bourbon, and oak accompanied by toffee, caramel, brown sugar, and maple syrup. The finish is all that prevents this from a perfect score as there is a bit of alcohol and heat, but there are some nice hints of chocolate.

M: The mouthfeel is smooth, creamy, rich, and full bodied. A light but nearly perfect level of carbonation.

D: I was told this beer was good, but I had to see for myself. This is one of, if not the, best barrel aged barleywines I've come across. I might go back again soon to have some more.

App- This was damn near filled to the brim of the glass and so not a lot of head was there to make some aromatics come alive. This beer was your typical looking BBBW. A deep ruby color with that small 1/4" head that didnt leave but a couple dots of cling.

Smell- This smelled better once it warmed. It was a bit light for me, but all the required notes were there. A bit of the base malty BW came forward and then moved into a bit of prickly booze from the bourbon and then additional vanilla and toffee sweetness.

Taste- Im rating high here and overlooking the prickliness vs. smoothness. This was a very good bourbon barrel aged beer. It was like I said a bit a bit grainy but overall the flavors on this one won out. The vanilla and the toffee paired nicely with eachother and the bourbon added a nice char and depth of flavor. Didnt burn on the way down. Not too "hot"

Mouth- This was more of a lighter bodied BBBW. Call it almost thin for me but the carbonation was a bit full and spot on. The residual flavors are the full vanilla and then some sweetness and a little bit of booze.

Drink- I had heard many a good thing about this one and was excited to try it with a couple good BA's. Markintihar and Ehammond1. I would have this one again and I think when I order it, next time, let warm for about 10-15 mins.

Seems hot in the mouth, but maybe it's the alcohol and the suggestion of chipotle peppers from a previous beer. Really strong and smoky, like Scotch. Seriously boozy profile like a great liqueur, but better since it's not that sweet. Vanilla and huge oak are the most distinctive flavors. Rounded, voluptuous... I could go on.

Thanks to Pizza Port in Ocean Beach for bringing this outstanding brew to San Diego.

For those who have visited Tustin Brewing Company over the last 18 months know that a small set of oak barrels were sitting at the enterance of the brewpub aging a barleywine. It was only a matter of time when the beer aging in those barrels were to be sent into kegs. On to the beer:

Very dark red in color topped by a small head that goes away quickly. This beer, instead of lacing, leaves a few legs on the glass. Yep, there's the bourbon I smell. Not as upfront as other BABS (Barrel Aged BeerS. Admit it, that acronym is cute) in aroma, but still a tease of things to come.

This is where TBC starts earning its fame with this beer. Just as tasty of the Firestone 13 I had yesterday, and trust me, that's good company to be in. Lovely vanilla and toasted oak tones hit around the palate. There's are hints of marshmallows, maple, dark fruits, and unsweetened chocolate. The medium-thick feel doesn't fatigue you upon each sip, and the syrupy and sticky feeling it leaves in your mouth make you want to chew on it. Even better is the alcohol being disguised. That's gostosa.

Just a superb effort from a brewpub which just two years before was making nothing but mediocre beer. At $5 for 8 ounces, it's a good deal for its type. Time will tell if this secret is let out of the bag and beer geeks from all over OC pilgrimage to TBC to get a taste of this holy water.

T: The caramel maltiness drives this brew, with all the input from the barrel - vanilla, maple syrup actual oak flavour. Good dark fruit notes as well. Complex, reminds me a lot of a young Angel's Share. Just tasty.

M: Full-bodied, viscous, very smooth, the ethanol just glides it along the tongue.

D: This is the real deal, I got to try it side by side with Deliverance and I certainly preferred this. This can go head to head no problem with the best of The Bruery (Melange No. 3 & 5); if you're anywhere in North County, this is a must try.

Wow, I really liked this one. smell startles you a bit with strong bourbon. But once you sip, the bourbon is very present, yet balanced in this barleywine. This one works sooo well. I love a good English style barleywine & many people don't get it right. Thisone is very "right" and then it's aged in a bourbon barrel!!! The sweetness of the barleywine is complimented nicely by the bourbn notes. I'm glad I didn't get scared off by the sniff I had of a sampler.